Product Description

The first message sent to Tom Thorne's mobile phone was just a picture - the blurred image of a man's face, but Thorne had seen enough dead bodies in his time to know that the man was no longer alive. But who was he? Who sent the photograph? And why? While the technical experts attempt to trace the sender, Thorne searches the daily police bulletins for a reported death that matches the photograph. Then another picture arrives. Another dead man ...It is the identities of the murdered men which give Thorne his first clue, a link to a dangerous killer he'd put away years before and who is still in prison. With a chilling talent for manipulation, this man has led another inmate to plot revenge on everyone he blames for his current incarceration, and for the murder of his family while he was inside. Newly released, this convict has no fear of the police, no feelings for those he is compelled to murder. Now Tom Thorne must face one of the toughest challenges of his career, knowing that there is no killer more dangerous than one who has nothing left to lose.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #161430 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
'Right up there with this country's dark masters such as Ian Rankin and Val McDermid' Time Out ** '[A] brisk, racy read' The Times ** 'Assured and shocking thriller' The Guardian ** 'A cunning variation on the serial-murder theme' Sunday Telegraph ** 'Sc

Guardian
'This is the seventh book in the series, and it is good to find that it lives up to the promise of its predecessors... Well-plotted, high quality stuff'

Sunday Express
'Thorne is unquestionably a challenger for the crown currently held by Rankin's Rebus, and before that by Dexter's Morse'

Customer Reviews

Not Bad. Not The Best In The Series.
In Death Message, DI Tom Thorne receives a photo message, on his mobile phone. It is a picture of a person's head, and Thorne quickly figures out, that this person is dead. Soon, more messages are being sent, and as the bodies start to pile up, Thorne and his colleagues are desperately trying to find a link between the killings.

I found this book a pretty good read. As always, the characters of Tom Thorne, and his colleagues come across as quite realistic, and believable. The plot is interesting, if not quite page turning, as we learn who the killer is quite early on. However, there is still 'whodunnit' elements to other parts of the story, so this is not a problem.

Overall, I find the the DI Tom Thorne series of books quite enjoyable, my only gripe being that there is a bit of 'sameness' about them. I would rank this book 'middle of the pack' in comparison with other books in the series.

excellent
It has now become my routine at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Buy the latest Billingham (signed of course), collect bottle of wine from bar, sit back and enjoy. This years book is once again
a winner from start to finish. Buy it!

Police Procedural at its Best
Mark Billingham is a first class writer of police procedurals and this latest does not disappoint. With DI Tom Thorne receiving text messages showing pictures of dead bodies or videos of those about to be killed, the race is on to catch the protagonist. We know who dunnit fairly early on, and the story revolves around how he is caught. There are enough twists and turns to make the plot interesting, and the private lives of the key players keep the book even more interesting. I found this to be an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys UK crime books. This demonstrates it at its best.